Yesterday, President Mary McAleese witnessed the Virtual Classroom shared between CBS Tramore, Co Waterford and Booth Memorial High School, St. John’s, Newfoundland. Mrs. McAleese saw how the students collaborated in a joint project of sharing information and graphics over the Internet.

Laurent Cartier a 2nd year student, opened the ceremony by welcoming everyone in French and English. He explained how students have won many prestigious awards, Spin-A-Web, Young Entrepreneurs Scheme and Golden Spider Internet Awards as well as the prestigious Internet Design competition. Then Christopher Kennedy answered the question "What is the Internet?" and went on to explain how the technology would link the two schools.

First Secretary & Consul to the Canadian Embassy Patricia Low Bédard talked about how friendship and this project has brought together two schools which are separated by1700 miles. The relationship is characterised by a shared history. She continued by showing the infinite list of things that are possible through technology. She ended by thanking both schools and launching the new-look CBS Tramore Website at http://homepage.tinet.ie/~cbstramore. She then presented a book about Canada to the school library.

At 1 pm the video link started, the Canadian students introduced David Dineen and Tomas Breen over the Internet which shows the capabilities of this project and the friendships that have been gained over the past two weeks. David and Tomas then introduced Kandi Gray and Keith Maddocks, two students from Booth Memorial, High School, who would be participating in the video link. They projected the pictures of the video link on big screens at the front of the Hall, which gave all spectators a chance to see the historic event that we all witnessed. The two schools proceeded to design an animated GIF over the Internet, winning the applause of the audience.

There was a great cheer then as President McAleese came into view at the front of the Hall over the Internet link. Tomas Breen asked some questions, his first was: "What is your e-mail address?" President McAleese then put forward her views and again showed how this could be a great help in the future to all schools as Booth Memorial High School and Tramore CBS have shown. Tomas Breen then asked another question "Have you a mobile phone?". This brought on a humorous response from President McAleese as she explained why she doesn’t have one. She then went on to say how you can find the pictures of her visit to Canada on the Internet at http://www.irlgov.ie/aras.

Asked "Do you see working across the Internet as an aid in the future?" President McAleese spoke about it as a phenomena but that it would be of use to all schools in the future. She then addressed David and Tomas with the same question. They then asked President McAleese "Would you consider a real visit to Tramore in the future?" President McAleese spoke of her wonderful summer holidays in Tramore, adding that she hopes to come here in the near future.

Warren Kelly, the compere, then introduced a fifth year student, David Power, a member of TourWeb (an Internet design company) who talked about the Internet, TourWeb and the role of technology in young people’s lives.

John Fitzgerald and Mahon O’Keeffe two 6th Year students in Tramore CBS, spoke about studying computer studies at the University of Limerick. They proceeded to show the great interest and hard work needed as a lot of the work is done outside school.